Let’s talk about why gender equity matters in the tech industry. #EmbraceEquity is the theme of International Women’s Day 2023, and for good reason. As a tech industry, we need to prioritise both gender equity and gender equality if we want to create a more diverse, inclusive and successful workplace. More on that later.
Gender equality is all about providing equal opportunities for people of all genders. It’s a great start, but it doesn’t take into account the unique challenges that women and other individuals from minority groups may face in the workplace. That’s where equity comes in.
So, what’s the difference between gender equality and gender equity?
International Women’s Day lays out two clear definitions:
“Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities.
Equity recognises that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.”
Source: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/EquityEquality
How equity empowers
According to a recent study by McKinsey & Company, companies with diverse workforces are more likely to outperform their less diverse competitors. In fact, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity in their leadership were found to be 25% more likely to have above-average profitability. That’s a compelling reason to make gender equity a priority in our industry.
As Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, once said, “When we invest in women and girls, we are investing in the people who invest in everyone else.” By prioritising gender equity, we can create a more inclusive industry that benefits everyone.
What can equity in the workplace look like?
Gender equity initiatives might include mentorship programmes for women, flexible work arrangements to accommodate caregiving responsibilities, and policies to address gender-based harassment and discrimination. These measures can help to create a workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed and contribute to our industry’s success.
As a tech industry, we have a responsibility to build products and services that work for everyone. By prioritising gender equity and gender equality, we can tap into the full range of talents and perspectives that our employees have to offer, driving innovation and growth. That’s what we’re all about!
So, let’s work together to build a more inclusive tech industry. By prioritising gender equity, we can create a better future for all of us.
#EmbraceEquity ProvenWorks honours International Women’s Day
Women are critical to ProvenWorks’ success. Whether it’s in our development team, marketing team or front-facing in sales, we wouldn’t be who or where we are without the women among us.
We aim to ensure that women are fairly represented at all levels and given equal opportunities to participate and grow in ProvenWorks life as well as our decision-making processes.
In keeping with our value of transparency, we’re taking this opportunity to reflect on where we are today. Currently, women represent nearly 40% of the ProvenWorks team, and 30% at the leadership level.
Whilst it’s vital to honour the achievements of the women we work with, these celebrations are not some sort of ‘conclusion’ or a goal that we’ve reached. We recognise that gender bias exists across the software industry. Therefore this moment must serve as an inspiring reminder of how much further we must go to reach gender equality and how much more we will accomplish when we do.
ProvenWorks is proud to offer its support to International Women’s Day, and we commit to #EmbraceEquity.